Crystal Lakes community dampens fire danger

By Linda Bell
Correspondent

In mid-October, 1,685 letters went out to all landowners in the Crystal Lakes subdivision and outlying areas near Red Feather Lakes to explain fire evacuation routes and steps to take before evacuating.

This communication grew out of a March 2002 initiative to be a FireWise community, according to Jody Sandquist, the recently appointed general manager of Crystal Lakes. She also is the subdivision's representative on the first FireWise area task force spearheaded by the local fire district in conjunction with representatives of Larimer County, the Colorado State Forest Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Crystal Lakes boards and its greenbelt management committee.

Out of that task force grew a comprehensive community wildfire protection plan that recently garnered the community a $10,500 matching grant from the Colorado State Forest to initiate thinning, limited logging and mistletoe eradication on 30 acres of greenbelt beginning this fall, said Sandquist.

Sandquist said the initiative has the complete support of the community, and the task force raised $4,000 in contributions from the district fire department auxiliary, the community fund, Crystal Lakes' road and recreation and water and sewer boards, and many individuals. Funds were used to send out the recent letter and make up special evacuation road signs. Fires in the area in 2000 and 2002 drove home the need for getting prepared, Sandquist explained.

Dyce Gayton, environmental coordinator for USFS Canyon Lakes Ranger District, said the national forest's fuels reduction plan in the Crystal Lakes area became a priority because of private landowner efforts. "It's not as effective to do one without the other," he said.

Gayton said there has already been some forest thinning and hand piling of slash on 50 to 60 acres of forest in the area, and he expected a private contract to be let this fall for more mechanical thinning. "When appropriate, we may do a controlled burn," he added.

Sandquist said the goals of the community wildfire protection plan stress public education and responsibility for making the area FireWise. For the past three years, county FireWise education officers Tony Simons and Jesse Causer have met with Crystal Lakes property owners to survey their lots and plan for defensible space around structures. Simons conducted a workshop at the subdivision on construction materials and ways to make buildings less vulnerable to fire. He also prepared a detailed vegetation survey of the entire subdivision to pinpoint areas vulnerable to wildfire danger.

Since those meetings, Sandquist said, the Crystal Lakes slash pile has grown enormous as people comply with FireWise standards.

The Crystal Lakes initiative is part of the wider Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership combining efforts of the Colorado State Forest, the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

One goal of the partnership is to work in collaboration with local governments and landowners for fuels reduction projects that complement treatments on federal lands. The group also provides assistance to develop and expand markets for traditionally underutilized wood products such as those that are removed during hazardous fuels management activities.